Easter: All For Love by Jeanne Takenaka

Do Easter egg hunts, brunch with the family, pretty dresses and Sunday service comprise your day? These are a part of our day as well.

The older I grow, the more I yearn to glimpse beyond the surface of the day, to Jesus. To what He did because He loves me, and all His creation. He purposely endured betrayal by one of His own.

Though He could have stopped it, He didn’t.

He endured a false trial, and spoke not a word in His own defense. Jesus endured forty agonizing lashes that ripped open His back. Nails through wrists and feet, horrific hanging on a cross, His blood dripping down the beam on its way to the ground.

What person, in his right mind, willingly subjects himself to this incredible suffering, the kind that pushes a human body far beyond what it was designed to handle?

And yet, because Jesus loves me, loves the world, He went through the “agonia.” He died a solitary death. What moved Him to do it?

Love.

Amazing, selfless, passionate. All-encompassing love.

Yes, He died. But what we celebrate Easter morning is the fact His love overcame death and He rose to life. The cross was the mode of His death. His willingness to hang there, under sun, clouds, the condemnation of many raining down on Him . . . all for love.

The grave was His mode for overcoming death. Making a way for all who are willing to embrace Him as Savior, to know His love, His acceptance, the abundant life He offers in the right now.

He did all of this for love.

I have the chance to respond to Jesus’ gift. So often, I forget the great sacrifice He made. The pain, the torture He endured. I take it for granted. I believed, right? That was all that was required.

His love is worth so much more than my taking it—Him—for granted. Jesus gave me a gift I could never have any. other. way.

A gift of eternal life only He could give. He gave it at the cost of His spilled blood. At the expense of His life. And He did it willingly.

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Published by Jeanne Takenaka

Jeanne Takenaka writes contemporary fiction that deals with real life issues with a heart to draw women closer to God and to those around them. She is wife to one amazing man who is her real life hero, and mother to two exuberant boys who hope to one day have a dog of their own. She loves being God’s girl always learning about His grace, hanging out with friends, and enjoying a great cup of coffee.
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13 thoughts on “Easter: All For Love by Jeanne Takenaka”

When I think of Easter, I think of Gary Gordon and Randy Shugart, the two Delta snipers who volunteered to try to hold off pretty much all of Somalia after the second Blackhawk went down in Mog in October 1993.

They couldn’t do it, and were killed, as I suspect they knew they would be. But they had to try. For love, and nothing else.

And I think of Robert Scott, whose post on December 7, 1941 was in one of the USS California’s compressor rooms. The California sank at her moorings; Robert Scott stayed at his post to feed compressed air to the antiaircraft guns, after the other men in the compartment bugged out. He drowned.

We can be, at our best, far closer to Jesus than we might think. His sacrifice was writ large, for the world, and ours are necessarily small, for those who stand – or fall – at our sides.

A father may build a castle; a child builds a sand-castle. Large, and small, but is the father not proud of the child’s achievement?

And is the child not inspired by the father’s glory?

As for our family traditions…well, dog care rules. I’m really no longer well enough to go to church, and it’s not very safe for me to go to a crowded church.

Safe for others, that is. Tap me on the shoulder when I don’t expect it and you’re taking a BIG risk.

Sweet post, Jeanne. As always. We are going to church to teach our 5th graders … I SOOOO love this class! Precious kids. They are so smart and know so much about the Bible … not just head knowledge … heart knowledge. Then, we are spending the day with my cousin and her family. We might go see Heaven is for Real. Much love to you, friend. Have a blessed Easter! He is Risen … just as He said!

Beautiful post.
There is a lovely children’s book called The Easter Angels by Bob Hartman. The two angels who are by his tomb on Sunday morning have a conversation. And the big, strong guardian angel recounts how there was a host of angels ready to break through to rescue him from the cross, but the sign had to come from him, and it never came… I read it to the kids at school every Easter and then we read from the Bible, Matthew and Mark have one angel; Luke and John have two. But let’s not quibble over details…. All for love, yes! My fingertips ache at the thought… May He give us powerful words to speak over dinner at our non-believing relative’s house.

That sounds like a beautiful children’s story. I’ve heard something similar and thought about it as I wrote the post. Jesus could have stopped the agonia at any time, yet He didn’t. Because of love. Amazing.

I hope the Lord shines through you in word and action as you spend Easter Sunday with your family. I’ll pray the same for myself. 🙂 Thanks so much for stopping by!

Beautiful reflections, Jeanne. For some many years Easter for me was about the easter eggs, the hunts, and maybe a few gifts for the kids. I’ve only been a Christian for 3 years and each year since accepting Christ I’m drawn more and more to Him on this day and what He did for me…for us. His grace is overwhelming.

Jeanne Takenaka writes contemporary inspirational fiction that deals with real life issues with a heart to draw women closer to God and to those around them. She is wife to one amazing man who is her real life hero, and mother to two exuberant boys who hope to one day have a dog of their own. She loves being God’s girl always learning about His grace, hanging out with friends and enjoying a great cup of coffee. She and her family live near the mountains in Colorado. She is a member of ACFW and My Book Therapy Voices.

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Each Tuesday and most Fridays I post on topics relating to life, relationships and those passions held in hearts and lived out each day.

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